Physical Function Traits of Long-term Officially Acknowledged Victims of Pollution-related Illnesses Compared with Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

[Purpose] To examine the long-term effects of air pollution on the physical functioning of a group of officially acknowledged victims of pollution-related illnesses (Victims group) who were exposed to air pollution more than 50 years ago, we compared them with age-matched patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD group). [Subjects and Methods] The Victims group comprised 34 subjects and the COPD group 24, all of whom were aged over 65 years. Respiratory function, muscle strength, exercise capacity and physical activity were measured and compared between the groups. [Results] The Victims group had significantly higher forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), proportion of predicted FEV1, proportion of predicted vital capacity (VC), and ratio of FEV1 to forced VC than the COPD group. Surprisingly, the muscle strength of the Victims group was significantly weaker, their incremental shuttle walking test distance was significantly shorter, and their physical activity was significantly less than those of the COPD group. [Conclusion] Although the pulmonary function of Victims was better than that of the COPD group, their physical functioning was worse. Exposure to air pollution 50 years ago appears to continue to adversely affect their physical function. It is particularly important to offer Victims rehabilitation to improve their exercise performance and physical activity.

Weaning from mechanical ventilation: a cross-sectional study of reference values and the discriminative validity of aging

“…The differences observed in pre-extubation variables were expected and confirmed the effect of aging on the respiratory system 5 , 11 , 13 , 21 ) . The aged lung shows a homogeneous increase in the distal air space and a tendency to close the small airways more readily, a fact that leads to a decreased expiratory flow and gas trapping.…”

“…Aging is associated with a progressive decrease in lung performance. Physiological changes take place in the parenchyma and chest wall that decrease static elastic recoil, chest wall compliance, and the strength of the respiratory muscles, leading to changes in pulmonary function 5 ) .…”

Involvement of Respiratory Muscles During the Timed Inspiratory Effort Index Measurement With Surface Electromyography

“…6,7,13 The subjects in this study had a median age of 80 y, with a higher prevalence of males; these data are similar to the populations treated in ICUs worldwide. [19][20][21][22][23][24] Consistent with the literature, age tended to be higher in those who failed weaning (P ¼ .24), a finding that can be explained by the Data are presented as median (interquartile range). * P < .001 versus T1 of the same group.…”

<p>Effects of air pollution on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a descriptive retrospective study (pol-AECOPD)</p>

“…Regarding exposure to PM, people exposed to environmental pollution have a greater proportion of lung dysfunction with an excess risk of 64%, which when combined with smoking increases to 129% 11. Likewise, it is related to higher hospital admission,12 deterioration of FEV1,13 and mortality 14. However, assuming that environmental exposure can exacerbate COPD, the objective of this study was to examine whether the levels of PM below 2.5 (PM2.5) and 10 microns (PM10) in the days before the symptomatic onset in adult patients with AECOPD show any change, and if that is associated with clinical presentation or outcome of an Anthonisen classification, use of antibiotic, hospitalization days, admission to ICU, and mortality.…”